A guide to love and murder

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

This photo provided by Jeffrey Richards Associates shows Audra McDonald as Billie Holiday in "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill" while holding Roxie. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Richards Associates, Evgenia Eliseeva)

The musical "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," a musical romp in which a poor man comically eliminates the eight heirs ahead of him for a title, has nabbed a leading 10 Tony Award nominations.

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch," a cult off-Broadway hit that this season stars Neil Patrick Harris, won eight nominations, while "After Midnight," a musical celebrating Duke Ellington's years at the Cotton Club nightclub, got seven, tied with "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" and "Twelfth Night."

The nominations announced Tuesday morning also made waves for snubbing some big names, including Denzel Washington, Daniel Radcliffe, James Franco, Zachary Quinto and Michelle Williams.

The musicals up for the big prize in June are: "After Midnight," ''A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," ''Aladdin," and "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical." Shows that failed to make the cut include "Bullets Over Broadway," ''Rocky," ''If/Then" and "The Bridges of Madison County."

Five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald earned a nomination for "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill," meaning she is in a position to make history as the Tonys' first grand-slam performance winner.

The best new play category has James Lapine's "Act One," Terrance McNally's "Mothers and Sons," Robert Schenkkan's "All the Way," John Patrick Shanley's "Outside Mullingar" and Harvey Fierstein's "Casa Valentina."